PHILADELPHIA – Former Eagles defensive end Chris Long stood by the red carpet at Steak 48 in Philadelphia, holding the famous gray and white fur coat that has become a symbol of Eagles championship success. The coat is now synonymous with winning football in the city. He wore it walking down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps after the Eagles won Super Bowl 52, the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
Seven years later, former Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat, Long’s affectionate ‘rookie’ from the 2018 NFL Draft, wore the coat down the same roadway after last season’s Super Bowl 59 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles offense will have to perform consistently and execute at the level it did during last season’s playoff run.
The Eagles enter Week 14 ranked 24th in total offense, averaging 304.8 yards per game. Unlike last season, when the running game sustained drives and put points on the board, the team is now averaging only 108.5 yards per game on the ground, ranking 22nd. The most concerning statistic has been on third downs, where they have converted only 34.5% of their opportunities, with several three-and-outs contributing to the low number.
There is still time for the Eagles to turn things around, and several former Eagles attended Tuesday’s third-annual “Team Dinner” to benefit the Chris Long Foundation and the Make the World Better Foundation, where they offered suggestions for improvement. For Long, the Eagles can still contend and fix what needs correction, but he also understands the fans’ frustration with the offense not performing as it should. Long said part of the issue is the play-calling by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and that Patullo must find a way to get the most out of the talent on that side of the ball.
“There are 11 guys on the field and there are personnel issues,” Long said. “Sometimes you don’t know if the things that he’s not calling or calling are predicated on what he knows he can and can’t do with the current personnel. I also think guys have to share some blame.”
Former linebacker Seth Joyner has been critical of the offense lately, especially wide receiver A.J. Brown. Joyner said most teams are what they are at this point in the season, but some have been able to make the necessary tweaks to have postseason success. Joyner also said the offense will not improve until the offensive line plays better.
“They have to get the offensive line fixed,” Joyner told NJ Advance Media. “They have to play with a lot more energy, a lot more intensity and a lot more dominance. I think once you begin to do that, the running game will come around and the passing game will find its footing. But it all begins and ends with the offensive line. If you can’t control the line of scrimmage, then you can’t control the game.”
Former defensive end Vinny Curry remained optimistic that the Eagles could turn things around and go on another run.
“It’s National Football League,” Curry said. “They’ll be all right. They still are one of the best teams in the league. Now they just have to ignore the noise and rise to the occasion.”